Friday, May 31, 2013
Day 7: Boise, Idaho
This morning we began our journey at the Pocatello Ramada. Not the finest of places and the shower head was broken and got more water on the floor than my head but it was clean and the beds were nice. I also raided an unattended maids cart on my way out and stocked up on shampoo, conditioners and lotion. Hey, on the trail nothing can be left behind!
Our first stop was at America Falls where the sign below was posted at your school. I loved it and give kudos to the school for posting it! Simply because it's a hilarious sign! We saw the falls, which I imagine we're amazing during the pioneer crossing. Next, we stopped at an interpretive exhibit with wagon ruts and a lovely view of the snake river. I have seen many wagon ruts so far and they never cease to amaze me. They must have been so deep that they almost were higher than this wagons! The wildflowers were very pretty here too and made the hills look yellow.
Next we attempted to see the second parting of the ways. The trail guide gave directions, which we attempted to follow but 4 miles down a back road and through a herd of cattle, we were supposed to turn left. There was no road. Not only that but there was no turns for as far as we could see. So, we tried an earlier left turn. This resulted in lots of confusion, heading down tiny dirt roads and we may have ended up in the middle of a farmer's field. We tried looking on maps, each one of us read the directions to see if we missed something, but no! We all read the same thing. We tried again to no avail and drove through the cow herd standing on the road about 4 times. Finally, Roy found a promising road and we decided we'd try one more time. It was not so much about the trail siting anymore as it was the challenge of finding the stupid thing! Finally we found the correct road! 4 miles away from where it told us to turn! The site was not that great and required an 8 mile hike to the actual site... no thank you! So we continued on, satisfied that the trail had not outsmarted us.
Then we reached massacre rock, named for the many attacks and battles here between the native American tribes and settlers. The coolest part: dressing up in period clothing! So much fun but those dresses are hot and hard to move in! Thank God for jeans! The park is very lovely and filled with sagebrush which I love the smell of!
We continued on and saw a cool recreation of a town that I forget the name of. We drove through twin falls and saw the new Chobani factory there! We then saw 1,000 springs. This was amazing and sad because it used to be so much bigger before the water supply was diverted or cut off. On the side of a bluff and thousands of small waterfalls that shoot right out from the middle if the bluff and fall to the river. They look like the bluff is crying from a thousand eyes! It was very pretty.
After a few more sites we continued to Boise. This town is officially my favorite larger town we have driven through so far. It has so many trees and green areas that you feel like your in a small town but it has so much happening. It was beautiful but the highlight was the Boise fry company. See the picture below of the menu.They make French fries, and everything else is a side. You begin by choosing your potato type and how you want it cut (homestyle, shoestring, regular, etc.) Then you chose from about 10 different sauces and 10 different flavored salts. Here are my favorite combos:
- Homestyle yam fry with vanilla salt and blueberry ketchup
- curly yellow fry with sour Chinese sauce and 5 spice salt
- standard idaho fry with spicy ketchup and vinegar salt
Basically, this place was heaven. We are currently at Roy's house in Boise enjoying a game of Cards Against Humanity. Tomorrow begins a new day on the trail! My thumb is almost healed and were three quarters of the way through! Oregon, here we come!
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Day 6: Pocatello, Idaho
Whew! State number 8 and we're crashing for the night! Unfortunately the hotel has terrible WiFi so I can't post any new pictures but hopefully we'll be able to tomorrow! Stay tuned for more updates!
Quick updated!
- Kayla took my stitches out this morning! I was supposed to have them taken out on Friday but Kayla was eager and I was getting so sick of them so we did it today! My thumb did not shoot off so I think I'm ok. We'll see...
- There are few rest stops between Evanston, Wyoming and Montpelier, Idaho. Go when you can or you may end up sprinting into the trails museum and scaring those working there.
- The trails museum does an amazing tour that guides you from packing your trailer and picking out your belongings to a stop along the way. Here we learned about a medicinal concoction mixing opium and whiskey and how to care for our wagon and oxen! Coolest part was the wagon ride simulation!
- Soda Springs is where you can find fresh soda water constantly bubbling out of the ground! It tasted delicious but was an odd site to see. I don't understand how it happens but it was amazing to see!
- I got a call from Anthony saying that my Montana teaching license came in the mail! When I get home I can't wait to start applying for jobs! Horay! He is surviving but hungry for different food than pizza and chicken nuggets. He will be very happy when I get home and I will be very happy to see him!
- We stopped at a brew pub here in Pocatello and sampled about 6 beers. I found a delicious wheat beer and they served pretzels the size of your head! Wonderfully delicious!
Tomorrow begins day 7 of the trail! Wish us luck!
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Day 5: Park City, Utah
Day 5 on the trail and today we officially reached over halfway. This morning we woke up at a friend's house in Casper, Wyoming and found it difficult to leave. The bed was soft and warm, the coffee already brewed and ready to drink and plentiful cereal varieties to chose from! It was the perfect night's stay but alas, we had to go on. So Claire, Roy and I (we picked up Roy yesterday in Casper to come along for a bit!) packed up our many bags, suitcases and coolers and headed to the Historic Trails Museum.
Once again, with the military parks pass we all got in free! Another 18 dollars saved! The trails museum was amazing! Each trail (Mormon, Oregon, pony express and California) has its own area dedicated to telling and showing what it was all about. Coolest part was the simulated wagon river crossing! You sit in a wagon and face a movie screen and watch the crossing while the wagon rocks and sways in the water. You even see someone's wagon break and their belongings flow away! We are all 20 something college graduates but we were so into it, I felt like a little kid! Excellent trip made even better by the military pass.
Then we continued on to Independence Rock about an hour drive away. We read that travelers on the trail would try to make it here around the fourth of July to stay on time. It is a GIANT mound of rock in the ground that looks like a turtles back and naturally we had to climb it. It took a while but we found a suitable spot to scale the beast. I was very careful to listen for rattlesnakes on the ascent but it was worth it! Travelers would have picnics on top and we got to see more engravings on top! So cool! I don't know how those ladies scaled that thing in dresses though... I could barely do it in pants! But it was tons of fun and a beautiful view of the Wyoming hills (I call them bluffs but apparently they're not. Maybe that's a Minnesota thing)
Next we headed about 5 miles down the road to Devils gate, this awkward giant slit in the mountain that the river flows through, and the Mormon handcart museum! The highlight of this by far was pulling around replicas of the handcarts and getting a feel for how awful that would have been! This was apparently the cheap alternative, instead of a wagon and oxen, they pulled mini versions of wagons 1,200 miles to salt lake! It was exhausting just pulling it around the parking lot! We took turns pulling each other around and decided we would all die in the wilderness if we had to pull those!
Our next big stop was South Pass about a 2 hour drive from Devil's Gate. This is a relatively flat piece of land about, 20 miles wide between the mountains. Claire told us that before this was discovered they couldn't really bring wagons out because of the mountains! After they found it, westward migration was possible. I was skeptical because it doesn't really look all that pleasant to travel across anyway. Its very hilly and uneven but I guess that beats a mountain! We walked in the actual ruts that the wagons left behind and drove on the actual trail. It was awesome and super beautiful but at 7550 feet up, it was very chilly! We spent a solid half hour just walking the trail and finding cool rocks. I was hoping to find something super cool like a wagon wheel or ox skeleton but rocks will suffice for now... apparently this spot marked just over halfway for the travelers! Good lord!
When we were continuing on, we experienced our first real trail weather. At the false parting of the ways marker we noticed the clouds ahead looked huge and dark and continued on. At this point we had been out of cell service for a solid 6-7 hours so we hadn't looked up weather. As we drove it got darker and more ominous and suddenly it struck! Wind, rain and lightening were intense and it was a little rough but we made it thanks to Roy's driving! We decided to treat ourselves to our Wyoming brewery stop along the way! We stopped at Bitter Creek Brewing Co and enjoyed a Bob! (That's the name of the beer! ) delicious.
We finally headed south to Park City where we are moching for tonight. Getting here through rain and wind, almost hitting 2 deer and almost getting hit by a pack of semi trucks on i80 has exhausted me and I think it's safe to say I hate driving in Utah! But for now we are safe, cozy and enjoying a lovely Murphy bed for the night! Goodnight friends, and back on the trail again tomorrow!
Fun fact- so far we have met two people along our travels ( inn keeper at the bed and breakfast and caretaker of the campsite) that used to be stationed at Malmatrom where Anthony and I are now! Small world!
Tons of pictures to come tomorrow! Horay!
Monday, May 27, 2013
Day 4: Casper
Well, now that we officially have wireless internet, a nice place to sleep and outlets, it is time to tell tales of our adventures! Here are some photos of our time so far:
Claire with our covered wagon guide.
Claire did not get rich in the gold rush...
I did! But then I was robbed....
A pioneer gravesite outside Wamego, Nebraska
A stop at the Oz Winery in Wamego
Alcove Spring, a common campground for pioneers. Carvings of their initials can be seen on rocks around the spring!
Claire is prepared to take photos at a moments notice!
We watched cannons being fired off at Fort Kearney!
Thats not a riverbed in the picture, that trench in the middle was actually carved by so many wagons passing through
You can still see the tracks like the wagon just went through yesterday!
Claire attempting to get compfy on the ground while the June Bugs smacked our tent walls
I gave up....
Our campsite did have a cool view to wake up to
A close up shot! (before we had coffee...)
Scottsbluff a few miles down the road. I got us a free annual national parks pass with my military ID! So far on this trip I have saved 83 dollars with my military ID! Thank you Anthony! :)
Mitchell pass going next to scottsbluff
The view from the top of Scottsbluff!
Bridge over the North Platte river
Fort Laramie! We ran through this but I could easily have spent a whole day here!
Coolest part of the trip so far are the wagon ruts. These were carved into the rockface by thousands of wagons going over them over the years. They came up to my knees when I was standing in them! SO COOL!
You cant tell but these ruts are just as deep.
Finally, our last historic stop of the day was at register cliff. Here hundreds of names are carved into the rockface of a bluff along with the dates of when they passed through. Some were carved beautifully in cursive! Who has the time or skill to put that on a rock!?!? Very impressive!
Well, unfortunately I am pooped for the night so I am going to call it a night! Tomorrow we head to Independence rock and our final resting spot tomorrow night will hopefully be in Park City, Utah! 7 states down, many more to go! Nighty Night all! And check out Claire's blog too! She has posted lots of pictures!
Scottsbluff
Our adventure to scottsbluff today! We officially just crossed the border into Wyoming and are headed to fort Laramie! More updates to come!
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Beatles
Well, tonight we are camping by Chimney Rock, a travel marker for those traveling the Oregon Trail. It looks like a giant pointer finger jutting out of the rock. We have had a VERY long day of travel and when we rolled into our campsite, late of course and after getting lost, we attempted to set up our tent by the headlights. I noticed it sounded like rain and Claire thought the same. Instead we discovered it was hundreds of giant beatles flying at the lights and smacking us as they went! That pretty much sums up the day. It was a fascinating day filled with over 15 historic landmarks but the end was not so pretty and, like the real Oregon trail, it was a little rough! But I will tell you all about that tomorrow when my cell phone has a charger! For now, I'll start at the end.
Due to the constant wind and lightening we thought we should try to sleep in the car instead of the tent ... big mistake. Did I mention the car is literally filled to the brim with crap? So we decided we should try to stick it out in the tent. Well, I went to move my smuggled case of beer back into the car when I dropped it a few inches (it's very hard to lift things without a thumb! )well one popped open and I took it as a sign. When God opens you a beer, you don't say no! So we climbed back into the tent and after a long and tiring day it was nice to laugh at our silly situation and drink a not-so-cold one. So tonight we made the best out of where we are and everyday we appreciate more and more what the settlers went through to achieve their dreamsof living out west. Wow!
We will post lost of pictures and the full story tomorrow! All I can say is I have never looked forward to the morning so much! That means it's tomorrow and tomorrow night we get a nice bed! Oh well, at least for now we are dysentery and cholera free!
Friday, May 24, 2013
Liberty, Missouri
Well, we made it as far as liberty today. We are about 30 minutes north of Independence, where the trail officially begins. Today was mostly about just getting through Iowa and getting close to the trailhead. Our goal is to hit a winery or brewery in every state so we did discover a beautiful winery just north of Ames called Prairie Moon. We sampled about 6 different wines FOR FREE and I was very pleased! Especially because one had a strong pineapple flavor and one was deliciously appley, I have not really been able to pick out flavors like that before so I was happy! We ended up buying a bottle for 11 bucks and creeping on a wedding that was happening. Terrific! Then it was off again!
Once we were south of Des Moines, Claire decided to try and find a geocache. (Google it if you don't know what that is! Its super fun!) However, this particular cache was located in a town that is probably the creepiest place I have ever been (see picture of Claire below). We pulled over, got out and realized the cache was located just next to the equally creepy local town bar where people were lounging outside on rusty picnic tables... we.quickly got back in the car. But, Claire was determined. So she found another one just down the road. We pull over and begin searching through the grass. I could not see the cache but I did look down to see a giant, blood sucking tick on my foot! I screamed and told Claire I was done! Was considered setting ourselves and the car on fire to burn the ticks out but, like the settlers before us, we forged on.
Southern Iowa is actually quite beautiful to my surprise. Lovely rolling hills, lush forests and beautiful green grass made it hard to believe we were in the same corn filled state that I have come to know! We made it through Iowa by rocking out to some cds I discovered from my high school days in the jetta (picture below) thank you to Jackie ans Hannah for the wonderful tunes! Once into Missouri, we decided to have a quick bite at a subway so we could continue on. Well, as we were in line, trying to decide between American and provolone cheese, Claire looked at me and froze. "Shhh, shhh, shhh. Its ok." She said while reaching toward my forehead, and promptly removed a tick from my forehead and flung it on the ground. It took every ounce of restraint I had not to strip right there and run. We finished ordering and tried to check for more, which did not go well. For the rest of the 2 hour drive, every hair movement, tickle, gentle breeze and itch would cause us both to panic and check. It was a long two hours. I would look over to see Claire inspecting her arm or head about every two seconds and I did the same.
We finally arrived at our beautiful bed and breakfast here in Liberty and I was very relieved to have a place to thoroughly check myself and my clothing. Even though I didn't find more, every feeling I have on my skin make me shiver. I may have to buy a brillo pad tomorrow and scape off a few layers of skin.
All in all, a pretty fun day! Tomorrow we make it to independence and Claire mentioned we may be taking a covered wagon ride through town! Hazzah! Stay tuned!
Ps- fun fact! Missouri has men on the side of the road made of road cones and barrels to warn you that road work is coming up! Coolest thing ever! I will try to get a picture of one before we leave!
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